COVID-19

Stories 401 - 420 | << Prev   Next >>

US Hits a Staggering New COVID Milestone

On Monday, nation reported more than 1M new cases, a new daily record worldwide, by a lot

(Newser) - Congress is right now grappling with a surge in COVID cases, driven in part by what Bloomberg calls a "tsunami" of the fast-spreading omicron variant. Yet it's becoming increasingly clear the struggle that US lawmakers are facing is simply a microcosm of the larger picture within the US—...

Congress Hit by 'Unprecedented' Surge in Cases

Lawmakers urged to meet virtually amid wave of COVID-19 cases

(Newser) - The Capitol physician is warning lawmakers of an "unprecedented" number of cases hitting members of Congress and their staffers. At the on-site testing center, the 7-day positivity rate is higher than 13%, compared to less than 1% before the rise of the omicron variant, Politico reports. Omicron accounts for...

Antarctica Research Station Hit by COVID Outbreak

At least 16 workers at Belgian station are infected

(Newser) - One of the most isolated places on the planet has been hit by a coronavirus outbreak—but all the cases detected at the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station in Antarctica have been mild and workers at the Belgian station are planning to stay put. At least 16 out of the 25...

Greene: 'Facebook Joined Twitter in Censoring Me'

She posts that she was barred from posting, commenting for 24 hours

(Newser) - Update: Less than 24 hours after Twitter gave Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene a permanent boot, Facebook made a similar but much briefer move, blocking her from the site for 24 hours. Politico reports Greene took to the social media platform GETTR with the news, writing, "Facebook has joined Twitter...

Fauci: COVID Surge Is 'Almost Vertical'

But focusing on hospitalizations is now 'much more relevant'

(Newser) - A new year has brought a new record in COVID infections: The seven-day average of daily cases rose above 400,000 for the first time Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reports. Since the New Year's weekend caused reporting delays, even the record 403,385 average reached Sunday is likely...

FDA: Fine to Get Booster After Just 5 Months

It also now recommends boosters for kids 12 to 15

(Newser) - The US is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge, with the FDA allowing extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12. Boosters already are recommended for everyone 16 and older, and federal regulators on Monday decided they're also warranted for 12- to 15-year-olds once enough...

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Has COVID
Defense Secretary Has COVID
Jan 3, 2022 12:52 AM CST

Defense Secretary Has COVID

He's experiencing mild symptoms, he says

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms while quarantining at home, the AP reports. In a statement Sunday night, Austin said he plans to attend key meetings and discussions virtually in the coming week “to the degree possible.”...

NYC Gears Up for 'Responsible Event for the World to See'

Only 15K in-person spectators, masked and vaccinated, will be allowed at NYE in Times Square

(Newser) - New York City readied on Friday to embrace the new year—and bid good riddance to another pandemic-marred 12 months—as it prepared to revive its annual New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square. It did so as an uneasy nation tried to muster optimism that the worst days...

In Locked-Down City of 13M, People Running Out of Food

Lockdown rules bar people from leaving the home to grocery shop

(Newser) - The Chinese city of Xi'an has been locked down since Dec. 22 , and this lockdown is more extreme than most. In a quest to maintain China's "zero COVID policy," the New York Times reports workers have been tasked with spraying disinfectant throughout the city, and Xi'...

South Africa: Omicron 'Flash Flood' Has Passed

Johns Hopkins University says US reported 647K cases Thursday

(Newser) - The omicron variant is pushing COVID case numbers to record levels in numerous countries—including the US, which reported a staggering 647,076 cases Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. But in South Africa, one of the countries to first detect the variant, scientists believe the worst is...

Days After 10K Broke Record, Australia Has 32K New Cases

PM says country is stronger despite lockdowns, fires, floods, mouse plagues

(Newser) - New coronavirus infections soared again in Australia on Friday to a record of more than 32,000, just days after surpassing 10,000 for the first time. Experts say the explosion is being driven by the highly contagious omicron variant and a recent relaxation of restrictions in Sydney and other...

Movie Theaters Stay Open in France, but Hold the Popcorn

Snack, drink ban at venues takes effect Monday

(Newser) - No more munching, crunching and slurping at the movies in France: The country's increasingly fraught fight against an unprecedented surge in coronavirus infections is putting a stop to eating and drinking at French cinemas, just as they show signs of recovering from the brutal economic bashing of lockdowns last...

Just Don't Take a Cruise, CDC Advises

Warning applies regardless of the traveler's vaccination status

(Newser) - In response to a series of onboard outbreaks , the CDC on Thursday advised all Americans—vaccinated or not—to stay off cruise ships. The agency cited a rise in coronavirus infections and the quick-spreading omicron variant, per NBC News . COVID-19 "spreads easily between people in close quarters on board...

The Many Problems With COVID Testing
Do Daily Case Counts
Even Matter Anymore?
the rundown
Dec 30, 2021 11:16 AM CST

Do Daily Case Counts Even Matter Anymore?

Millions of rapid tests might be going unreported every day, raising questions of accuracy

(Newser) - Omicron has led to a record number of new daily cases in the US—north of 265,000—but is the number even relevant anymore? That's the question raised by a New York Times story, one of many exploring the current problems with testing and case counts:
  • Key question:
...

Woman Spends 4 Hours in Plane Bathroom After Testing Positive

She took rapid test after getting sore throat on Icelandair flight

(Newser) - A Chicago woman ended up in the Mile High Quarantine Club after she tested positive for COVID-19 on a flight between Newark. NJ, and Iceland. Marisa Fotieo told the Today show Wednesday that she went to the bathroom and took a rapid test when her throat started to hurt during...

After Forfeited Games, Int'l. Hockey Tourney Ends Early

Remainder of world juniors in Canada has been called off amid fears of a COVID outbreak

(Newser) - Update: The remainder of the world junior hockey championship in Canada has been canceled over fears of a COVID-19 outbreak. The International Ice Hockey Federation made the announcement Wednesday on the recommendation of medical officials, per the AP . Citing the spread of the omicron variant, the IIHF canceled the rest...

British DJ 'Devastated' for Bringing Omicron to NZ

Nation's health officials say Robert Etheridge left required self-isolation before getting test result

(Newser) - New Zealand health officials are reeling after a British DJ set to play a New Year's Eve music fest left his required self-isolation before getting the results of a final COVID test back. He subsequently tested positive for omicron, the country's first community case of the variant. The...

New COVID Cases in US Hit Record High

Fauci suggests scaling back NYE celebrations

(Newser) - More than a year after vaccines were rolled out, new cases of COVID-19 in the US have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant. New cases per day have more than doubled...

Indicators Agree: Omicron Is Milder, Fauci Says

Infections are rising much faster than hospitalizations in the US

(Newser) - Early data from the US and abroad make two things clear about the omicron variant of the coronavirus. "We know now, incontrovertibly, that this is a highly, highly transmissible virus," Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday. And "all indications point to a lesser severity of omicron versus delta....

One NBA Legend Schools Another on COVID Meme

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says LeBron James' Spider-Man post was 'blow to his worthy legacy'

(Newser) - LeBron James asked for advice on COVID, and he got it—though he may not have liked the answer he received from a fellow basketball great. The hubbub started on Christmas Eve, when the 36-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward posted a cartoon on Instagram that showed a variation on the...

Stories 401 - 420 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser